Anyway, this week I'm going to do a recipe blog! Why? This is the most delicious risotto I've ever tasted and nothing has happened to me in the last week (I made and ate this risotto twice - seriously, that was the highlight). So let me proudly present...
Roast Cherry Tomato Risotto
Serves 2
You will need:
- 200g Risotto rice
- Around 2 litres of stock
- One Onion
- Lots of olive oil
- A big punnet of cherry tomatoes.
- 2 cloves of garlic
- A handful of basil leaves
- A handful of parmesan cheese - or vegetarian equivalent (did you know parmesan isn't vegetarian? I didn't! But I still buy it because the vegetarian stuff doesn't taste any good and it's only like 0.1% animal. )
- A tablespoon of butter
- Salt and pepper
1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Stick the cherry tomatoes and unpeeled cloves of garlic on a roasting tray, liberally drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 160C for about 40 minutes.
2. While the tomatoes are cooking you can start making the risotto. First chop some onion small, something like this:
Then fry the onion in lots of olive oil, more oil than seems appropriate. You'll need lots as you'll be frying the rice soon. Of course, if you're Cara you can skip this step as onions aren't really that important.
3. Make up some stock in another pan. Make it a little less strong than you might want to because you're going to keep it boiling for a while and all the water will boil off. You should have a neat little set up like this:
3. After about 5 minutes when the onions are all soft add the rice. I never knew why you fry the rice until recently - you have to get the rice hot all the way through so that it will cook quickly. I never used the fry the rice and risotto used to take forever and my hands would get all sore. But now it's much easier!
4. Now begin to add the stock. If you'd got the rice hot enough there should be an almighty hiss when the stock hits the pan. It's traditional to add a glass of white wine at this point instead of the first ladle of stock - and it does taste good - but my mum came to my flat and drank all my wine.
5. Keep adding stock and stirring for about 20 minutes. Keep enough stock in the rice so that the rice has a gloopy pourable consistency. Keep the stock on a rolling boil and the rice simmering - you want the rice hot enough to cook but not hot enough so the steam coming off burns your hand, because I always do that and it hurts! You don't have to stir all the time - that's boring. Also you can listen to the radio or phone someone, because 20 minutes is a long time.
6. When the rice no longer tastes uncooked take the rice off the heat and put a lid on. Chop the basil and add it. Grate the parmesan and add it. Add the butter, add the roasted tomatoes. Chop the ends off of the garlic cloves and squeeze out the garlicy goodness into the pot. Give everything and good stir and season to taste. If it's not gloopy enough for your taste add more stock.
7. Put on plates.
8. Eat. Nom nom nom!
Cool right? I've you've ever made risotto before 90% of that will be obvious and patronising. But anyway, here's one last time real quickly:
1. Roast tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper.
2. Fry onion, fry rice.
3. Add stock, stir, stir, stir.
4. Repeat step 3 until delicious.
5. Add butter, parmesan, basil, tomato, salt, pepper.
6. ....
7. Profit!
Love you guys!
I had lots of pictures, but it's too hard to put them in. Urgh!
Mhairi! You should definitely write a recipe book, I've never laughed while reading recipes before :D
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, onions are NOT important. Blech.
Love you too Mhairikins! xxx